Chapter 63 #3
That was exactly why Dev, Rajnath, Aakriti, Rachna, and even Akansha herself hated the idea of Shaurya leaving politics.
He wasn't merely useful to the state.
He was transformative.
In Akansha's eyes, he was more than just a good leader. He was the kind of man who genuinely fought for people who had no one else standing for them. A savior... maybe even a messiah to many.
"You know, people might eventually get bored of my governance and throw me out of power, but you'll still have a permanent job", he said dramatically.
"Really, Shaurya? Right now you sound exactly like my father", she said, remembering his words whenever the topic of marriage came up.
'You just wait and watch, I'll get you married only to a government employee. You'll have a secure future then. A permanent job... you deserve that safety. I always wanted government employees as sons-in-law. I couldn't fulfill that wish in Suman's case, but I won't let that happen with you.'
Her father's words echoed in her mind, making her smile unconsciously.
"That's a good thing, right? He also wanted you to get a government job, so you should definitely go for it", Shaurya replied sincerely.
Akansha burst into laughter, a genuine, carefree laugh that instantly brightened his entire face.
Sometimes, he was so unintentionally adorable that she simply wanted to kiss his cheeks, the exact same cheeks their daughter had inherited.
"Huh? What?", he asked, confused after getting lost staring at her.
"He wanted a government employee as his son-in-law for job security. But look what he got instead... a son-in-law who can lose his job any moment", she teased.
Shaurya glared at her dramatically.
"Wah! So my father-in-law prefers a Sarkari Naukri wala(government employee) over Sarkar chalane wala(the man literally running the government)?"
Akansha laughed even harder at his offended expression.
He became ridiculously jealous when it came to her. He couldn't even tolerate an imaginary government employee in her life, that too one imagined by her father, not by her.
"Akansha... So what do you say?", he asked softly after her laughter subsided. There was still a trace of irritation left in him at the thought of her father preferring a government employee as a son-in-law.
"Hmm... I'll have to think about it. I'll let you know once I decide. And about Papa, he is very happy with his Sarkar chalane wala Damad now", she said with a genuine smile, bringing a wide grin to his face.
"I'll never disappoint him again... nor his daughter", he said quietly, holding her palm.
Realizing she had finished her ice cream, he immediately handed her another flavor from the collection he had brought for her.
They sat there in comfortable silence.
Akansha was glad there was no bitterness between them now, at least not the ugly kind that once consumed everything between them.
The shadows of hatred were slowly fading, and she couldn't be more thankful for it.
She knew it would still take time for everything to heal completely, but she was happy that things were finally moving in the right direction.
And the credit went to both of them. To Shaurya, for his patience, efforts, and love. And to herself too, for finally deciding to let go of the bitterness instead of feeding it endlessly.
This time, she wasn't choosing only love. She was choosing herself too.
Her happiness, dignity, marriage, family, and love... she wanted all of them together this time. She wasn't going to sacrifice her self-respect for love again. And if someday Shaurya failed to protect all those parts of her life together, she knew she would walk away.
But deep down, she no longer feared that possibility the way she once did. Trust didn't return overnight, but slowly, one block at a time, she was rebuilding it.
"I have to ask you something else too", Shaurya began carefully.
She narrowed her eyes immediately. That expression. She knew that expression too well.
"Don't ask something that will make me thrash you, Shaurya", she warned.
He gulped. Unfortunately, he had to ask.
He had promised his daughter a puppy the day she got injured, and weeks had already passed.
Siya never brought it up again, not even once.
She had been unusually understanding because she knew her Dadda was busy, but that only made him feel guiltier.
He could clearly see the disappointment she hid behind her smiles.
And he hated disappointing his daughter.
"I want to gift Siya a puppy", he blurted out in one breath.
"What?!"
Akansha practically screamed and threw an empty thermocol box at him like he expected her to.
Yup.
He knew her too well.
Unfortunately, knowing her reactions wasn't going to save him this time.
"So this was why your daughter was grinning so widely despite having wounds on both knees and elbows that day, huh?", she asked sharply.
"Akansha, listen to me once. I won't let them inconvenience you in any way, trust me. I'll arrange everything properly. Their space will be in the far corner of the garden. You won't even have to encounter them... Please agree. Siya wants them badly", he pleaded.
"No, Shaurya. You know I hate dogs."
"You don't hate them. You're scared of them", he corrected gently.
That earned him another glare.
"Shut up. And if you bring a dog into this house, I am leaving. As simple as that", she declared.
His face instantly paled.
"I already promised Siya... now what do I do?", he muttered worriedly, forgetting she could hear him.
"You promised her? Despite knowing how scared I am?
" she snapped. "Instead of convincing her, you encouraged her?
You know how nervous I get around dogs. Have you even thought about how I'll live in this house if they're around?
My heartbeat will stay high all the time. I won't even sleep peacefully."
She took a deep breath before delivering the final blow.
"Anyway, it's final. Dogs are not allowed in the place I stay. Now it's your responsibility to explain it to your daughter. Tell her, 'If doggy comes in, Mommy goes out.'"
She looked genuinely betrayed.
"I can't believe you promised her. This is entirely your fault. Siya inherited this animal obsession from you only."
"I'm sorry. I really do understand your fear", he said quickly. "I tried refusing Siya, but she was adamant and I gave in. I thought if I planned everything properly, you would never even have to interact with them but—"
"It's either them or me", she cut him off firmly before getting up.
She picked up her phone and walked away, but not before throwing another thermocol box at him, this time directly hitting his face.
Shaurya shut his eyes.
Perfect.
He had successfully ruined her mood again.
The next few days became hectic with the party restructuring work.
Finalizing the new symbol, party name, foundational values, and vision statements took endless discussions.
Simultaneously, Shaurya and Dev worked on promotional strategies and public outreach plans to communicate the restructuring clearly before the elections.
One night, while working on campaign ideas with Dev, Shaurya finally shared his misery about Akansha giving him the cold shoulder ever since the puppy discussion.
Things between them had finally started improving, and he had ruined the peace himself.
He knew she wasn't deeply angry; she was mostly irritated and wanted him to completely drop the idea of getting a dog. Still, her coldness pinched him badly. He hated it when she stopped talking to him properly.
He thought sharing it with Dev would at least get him some sensible advice. Instead, Dev made the situation ten times worse. Shaurya realized it the next morning when he opened their family group chat.
"Hi @Akansha Dixit, I heard the news. You're leaving the house it seems? Shaurya and Siya will miss you a lot", Dev texted dramatically.
Shaurya, who saw the message later, immediately wanted to strangle his best friend.
"What? Why? What nonsense are you barking, you dog?", Rajnath replied instantly.
"Not my dog, Dad. Shaurya and Siya's future dog is driving Akansha out", Dev teased further.
"Only you @Dev Bisht can come up with such nonsense early in the morning", Akansha replied.
"Will someone explain what's happening?", Rajnath asked.
"Shaurya wanted to gift Siya a puppy. Akansha bhabhi hates dogs... okay, she's scared of them. She said she'll leave if the dog enters the house", Aakriti explained.
"Who told you?", Shaurya immediately tagged Aakriti.
"Rachna bhabhi", Aakriti innocently exposed the source.
"You are worse than gossip aunties @Dev Bisht. Couldn't even hide it from your wife huh?", Shaurya texted.
"I didn't tell Rachna", Dev defended himself dramatically. "You are doubting me? I am the living form of loyalty ??"
"Soon-to-be dead form of loyalty", Akansha replied instantly.
"I was just about to support you by saying you were right not to allow dogs at home because they are irritating... but you don't deserve my support anymore", Dev sulked.
Akansha replied with a rolling-eyes GIF.
"By the way @Shaurya, since you love this rude woman so much and don't want her leaving the house, why don't you pet me instead? I'll eat, sleep, spend time with you and Siya, and stay loyal too", Dev texted shamelessly.
"Doggy is fine, Shaurya", Akansha replied immediately.
Everyone reacted with laughing emojis ?? except Dev, who reacted with ??.
"You mean it?", Shaurya asked hopefully.
"NO", Akansha replied with an angry emoji.
"And no Dev as well", she added, making the entire group explode with laughter again.
"@Shaurya Huh! I don't understand why you love this woman so much. She's so rude", Dev whined.
"@Rachna Bisht, I'm sending Woodward's. Please make this whining baby drink a spoon", Akansha replied.
"Sure, thanks for the help babes", Rachna texted back.
"Anytime", Akansha replied sweetly, deliberately irritating Dev further.
Dev typing...
The moment Shaurya saw those words, warning bells rang in his head.
"One more text and I'll remove you from the group, Dev", he warned.
Dev instead sent an audio clip.
"Mai joru ka ghulam banke rahunga..."
Tagging Shaurya.
The group chat instantly flooded with laughing emojis and ROFL GIFs.
Akansha chuckled, reading the messages.
Shaurya, who was getting ready for work inside the room, immediately turned toward her on hearing her laugh. But she quickly hid her smile and looked away.
"Akansha... Talk to me properly. It's been three days, Jaan", he said helplessly.
She glared at him.
"Aren't you getting late for work?" she asked coldly.
He sighed.
"I made bitter gourd for you and packed lunch for both of you. Take care. I'll see you in the evening."
He tucked his crisp cotton shirt neatly into his formal trousers before combing his hair properly. The way he got ready for work — simple yet effortlessly presentable — always did something to her heart.
She loved staring at him. Unfortunately, she was currently pretending to be angry.
This was the fourth time in three days he had cooked bitter gourd despite his packed schedule, all to appease her.
And honestly? It was working. A little.
"Midnight, you mean. That's when you usually come home these days", she said sharply, not exactly taunting him but testing him.
"I'll come early tonight", he promised immediately, already mentally rearranging his impossible schedule.
"Forget it. You come home early with unfinished work, roam around with a gloomy face, and then I have to tolerate your stress. Stay in the office and finish your work properly", she replied.
He sighed again. How in the world was his bitter gourd strategy still failing?
He had made different versions of the dish for three straight days, and she loved every single one, yet she was still giving him the cold shoulder.
Well... he deserved it.
He knew she wanted him to completely drop the puppy idea. And somewhere, he also knew he was wrong for placing his daughter's wishes above his wife's fears.
"Bye", Shaurya said softly before leaving.
"Did you pack your lunch?" she asked.
He nodded cautiously.
"What did you cook for yourself and Siya?"
He gulped. Now the interrogation would begin again.
"Um... okra", he admitted carefully.
She glared immediately.
"Take my lunch box today. I'll take yours. And keep your afternoon schedule free for fifteen to twenty minutes if possible. We'll have lunch together in your office."
His soul almost left his body.
Usually, he would jump at any opportunity to spend time with her. But today? Today's menu involved bitter gourd.
He mentally cursed himself for cooking such a huge quantity of it. At that time, he thought more bitter gourd would improve her mood faster.
Instead, now he was being punished with it himself.